


Out of Rhythm

by ToxicBabes



Category: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (Video Games)
Genre: Cheesy, Established Relationship, Fluff, Friendship, M/M, Medical Procedures, One Shot, Romance, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:53:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26147485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToxicBabes/pseuds/ToxicBabes
Summary: Maxim assists Lera on her research. When a new factor is introduced into the experiment, her findings are rather peculiar.
Relationships: Maxim "Kapkan" Basuda/Timur "Glaz" Glazkov
Comments: 4
Kudos: 36





	Out of Rhythm

**Author's Note:**

> There's mild medical procedure referenced in this like injections/an electrocardiogram, though nothing in any significant detail at all. In fact, this isn't intended to be procedurally accurate in any way, so forgive me for any gross inaccuracies. I also have the vaguest idea of how anything works, but the point of this little scenario is less about Finka's gadget/research and more about a cheesy thought I had. So I sure do hope you guys saw that video of all the r6 ops doing the Dokkaebi elite dance and the Glaz wink at the end basically had me smitten so I imagine Kapkan would have some feelings about his man winking.

A simple favour, one that involved Maxim being a guinea pig in the lab for Lera to experiment with her nanobots. The clock was striking three o’clock when he arrived, stepping into the laboratory with a look of mysticism on his face like he had arrived in a different dimension. Unlike the workshop, the lab was much more pristine and organised, less clutter and all the more sophisticated. He found her near the back, occupied by an email that she didn’t notice him approaching.

“Doctor Melnikova,” Maxim addressed her with a cheeky grin and the honorific seized her attention. He produced a small chocolate bar from his pocket and slid it across the desk. “I’m at your service.”

“You didn’t have to, but thanks.” Lera returned the smile and set it aside for later. She motioned for him to follow her. “So, I’m making adjustments to the adrenal surge, testing different dosages with the nanobots. You’ll be strapped up to a couple machines and we’ll test your reflexes using a simple game because you need to remain still for this procedure- and because Gustave won’t be happy with us using firearms in here.”

On the opposite side of the lab, several of their colleagues were working in quiet concentration. Gustave clacking away at his keyboard, James reclining with his feet on his desk, the soft tapping of Tze Long's fingers drumming against the counter in wait for the coffee machine to refill the pot. The last thing anyone needed right now was the sound of a gun firing in an enclosed space. 

“I’ll need you shirtless for this, so we’ll do it in the testing chambers,” she continued to explain as she pressed a button to open the doors. A mechanism gave a hiss of air and the doors slid open, nothing like the broken doors with squeaky hinges of the workshop. Despite all the engineers who frequented the place, no one bothered to fix it. “If anything feels off, let me know. We can always stop.”

It seemed simple enough. The testing chamber had numerous machines already sitting in preparation, cords snaking along the side of the room. The window to the chamber was made of smart glass, though there wasn’t much need to activate it. Maxim wasn’t going to get squeamish about his colleagues seeing him shirtless.

With him settled in place on the adjustable cot, Lera administered the shot. It was one out of many and Maxim took steady breaths through his nose, focusing on the devices around the room to distract himself from the sting of the thick injection. 

“Right…” Lera hummed under breath. “I don’t think the electrodes will stick properly… we’ll need to shave your chest.”

The last thing Maxim expected was to have a friend shave _sections_ of his chest hair off. He didn’t object to it, but he figured he’d have to finish the job later or Timur would have a good laugh seeing his patchy chest. 

A lot of preparation went into this. Shaving the area, abrading it of dead skin cells then drying it before applying one patch. Lera was thorough in her work and maintained a neutral expression, pretending the awkward atmosphere of the room was not affecting her whatsoever. As she mapped out the placement of the electrodes, she noted faint, fading marks dotting along Maxim’s clavicles.

“Someone’s been having fun,” she pointed out in a murmur and the corners of her lips fleeted upwards ever so slightly at Maxim’s embarrassment. “Thought you’d be too busy obsessing over your new cat to have time for anyone.”

“I have my secrets,” Maxim deflected, just managing to maintain his composure. He avoided moving too much, though the sensation of cool fingertips pressing against his pectoral wasn’t comfortable. Lera squinted a little as she recalled where the patches were supposed to go and she considered asking Gustave for a bit of assistance.

“All safe with me,” added Lera and the last patches went on his limbs. Two on the shoulders, two on the thighs. With everything in place, she plugged in the leads. Maxim wasn’t completely sure about all the devices and what they did exactly, though it certainly felt like a hospital in here. “Right, watch this monitor in front of you. The game is simple, when you see a red flash, press this touchscreen. Try not to move too much.”

She placed the touchscreen under his finger and they began the test. It took some time before Maxim got used to it and he laughed at his delayed responses as the screen blinked between black and a random colour.

“I’m getting old, my reaction time is poor,” Maxim joked and he tried to concentrate, chewing on his tongue as he filtered out the flashes of other colours. “Timur has really good reflexes, you should’ve asked him.”

Lera raised a brow. “Oh, I have,” she said. “You’re quite familiar with Timur’s reflexes, hm?” 

“Yeah, we’re good friends-” A sudden sensation washed over Maxim, cutting him off mid sentence as the adrenal surge hit. It was always unsettling, especially in a calmer setting. On the field, it was less noticeable with all the chaos and ringing in his ears. Now he was listening to his blood thundering and his heart drumming hard in his chest. He reacted faster now, sheering good milliseconds from his average response time. 

They ran several tests and by the third set of results, Maxim was sure he was going to see blinking colours for the rest of the day with the primary shades burnt so vividly into his retinas. Each test took a considerable amount of time to set up, given that they had to wait for Maxim’s vitals to return to the baseline. During their downtime, they weren’t shy to the occasional teasing, the lighthearted banter. 

Their conversation cut short when someone knocked on the door and Lera gave the cue to come in. To Maxim’s surprise, it was Timur. 

“You ordered?” Timur set down a coffee cup, one from the canteen. He flashed a charming smile and in that very moment, Maxim hadn’t realised how good he looked recently. It was one of those in-between seasons when it wasn’t warm enough to warrant him to shave his hair off, so his hair grew out into a scruffy yet endearing sprawl, incredibly soft to touch. “So that’s where you went, ghosting me on our lunch break?”

Lera took the coffee with a murmur of gratitude, but she was far more occupied by the ECG monitor. The value for his pulse rate was increasing despite him being unmoving and she raised a brow at this finding, drawing the conclusion to the arrival of Timur. 

“Yeah, I told you I was gonna be helping Lera,” Maxim answered back and he kept a steady gaze on the younger man as if it was impossible to look away. “You didn’t see the text?”

“Right, less bickering. Timur, you’re interfering with the experiment. My subject needs to be in a calm state,” Lera chastised them, clasping a hand over Maxim’s shoulder. “Currently… seems like he’s quite tense.”

The heavy insinuations, every sentence dripping with euphemism and Timur winked. “I’m just that good looking, huh?” He gave a humble laugh and reached for the door. “Right, I’ll see you two later. Don’t break him!”

“Don’t you worry, I’ll return him to you in one piece,” Lera promised with a smile. She waited for him to leave before checking the reading of his heart rate again, not sure if she was more impressed how seeing another person could induce temporary arrhythmia or the embarrassment painted across Maxim’s expression. 

A silence shrouded the room once again, though this time his thoughts were so loud they could both hear them. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but then decided against it when he met Lera’s languid smile. She sensed his reluctance to address the topic, but it certainly was on his mind. 

“Who would’ve thought you’d get so soft, hm?” It was impossible to get annoyed by the teasing, especially when it came from Lera. “I won’t say a word to anyone, it's okay.” 

It was one of those profound moments between two friends and Maxim found the trouble in his soul comforted by this simple reassurance. Before he could thank her, a sharp jab stung the side of his bicep and Lera had administered another dosage of nanobots.

**Author's Note:**

> My Twitter is [@CompoundZ8](https://twitter.com/CompoundZ8)  
> My Tumblr is [erc-7](https://erc-7.tumblr.com)


End file.
